Cutting-off machine



Oct. 23, 1934.

A. A. RICKEFQT` CUTTING-OFF MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 18, 1931 l La ATTORNEYS.

oct 23, 1934.

A. A. RlcKl-:RT l l1,978,059

CUTTINGOFF MACHINE Filed Aug. 18, 1951 2 snets-sheet 2 /IIIIIIIMYIIII m J Fi?. 92

l 30 machine.

Fig. 3 an enlargedsection of the air connect-` Paienfed oct. 23, 1934 PATENT OFFICE N CUTTING-OFF MACHINE August A. Rickert, Erie, Pa., assignor to Rickert- Shafer Company, Erie, Pa., a vcorporation o Pennsylvania Application August 18, 1931, Serial No. 557,791

6 Claims.

`The present machine is designed to cut pipe or similar material ina very rapid and eiiicient man ner. Itis particularly advantageous in the forming of nipples where rapidity is of the utmost ".5 importance.` In carrying out the invention I utilize a spindle through which the stock is fed and by which the stock is driven and provide means forcutting the stock, mounting the cutters on `oscillating tool carrying posts which permit of ,10; rigidity and a freedom from chip interference. A

conveniently operated stop is provided for limiting the feeding movement of the material. The

collet. operating mechanism is air-actuated and the connections which must necessarily be packed 115 are cooled using preferably the cutting lubricant for this purpose. `The invention also involves the forming of such. a machine accomplishing these different movements in a compact space and with a minimum of operating parts. A feedingmechanism for thework is provided, but such feeding mechanism per se forms no part of the present invention. Features and details of` the inventionV will` appear fromY the specification" and lalmS' l preferred embodimentlof `the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as fol- OWSP- y f v l Fig. 1v shows a verticali section` of themachine.

Fig. 2` an end view of the cutting4 end of the ingwmeans on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1. d

Fig. 4 an `enlarged view of the valve on the line 14-4"r1 Fig. 6.

. Fig. 5 is agsection ofthe valve on the line 5`5 in Fig. 6. i d

Fig. 6 an end view of the valve. d

Fig. 7 an end view of the feeding mechanism. Fig. 8 a topf View ofthe feed rolls showing the i separating cam. l

i Fig. 9` a section of the `feed roll mounting on the line 9--9`in Fig; '1,v v

Fig. 10a side elevation; of the stop actuating cam andyoke. i i d d Fig. l1 a section on the line 1 1`1;1 in Fig. 2. 1 marksthe frame of the machine. This is `mounted on legs Y2. Itis provided with the usual lubricant and chip-receiving pan 3, and 4a sump to which the lubricant flows from the pan.

` y The machine has a spindle 5 which ismounted `in ballbearings 6 and 7. `A colletlthroat 8 is 'mounted'onthe front end ofthe spindle and is i provided with collet jaws 9 of usual construction. "A collet-actuating tube 101 extends `from the `jaws throughthe center ofthe spindle.

- An air ring 11 is mounted on the rear of the spindle, and a piston 12 is arranged in thiscylinder and is mounted on an extension 13 secured on the rear end of the jaw-actuating tube 10. Air is delivered to the opposite ends of the cyl- @D inder through air passages 14 and 15 arranged in the extension 13. An air-connecting housing 16 is mounted on the. extension. It is provided with rings 17 and 18 which are sealed on the extension by packing rings 19. The rings 17 65 and 18 have annular grooves 20 and"20a which maintain a constant connection with the air passages 14 and l5 as the extension rotates. 'Air is delivered to the rings 17 and 18 through passages 21 and 22 respectively,` these passages being 7 Q supplied from pipes or hose 23 and 24.

The air is controlled by a valve 25 receiving its supply from a pipe 26 with branches leading to inlets'27` and 28. Ports 29 and 30 are connected with the pipes-23 and 24 and ports 31 and 32 are 7 5 connected with the passages 27 and28 respectively andthese are controlled by valves 33 `and 34. Valves 35 and 36` control exhausts from the ports'29 and 30. All of these valves, four in number. are' provided-with stems 37 and are ac- 80 tuated from a rocker 38, the rocker being pivotally mounted on arms 39V extending from the valve. The rocker is provided `with rollers 40 and 41 which are actuated `by cams 42 and 43 respectively;` Each side of the rocker is provided with two contacts engaging `two of the valve'pins and as the rollers 4()v and 41 are lifted an inletl` and exhaustxvalve` at the side lifted isopened In other words, the air is alternately delivered to one side of the cylinder 11 and exhausted from .90

the other and the cams 42` and 43 controlling this movement are so timed that with each cycle of the machine thetube 10` isretracted releasing the jaws, held openan interval permitting the feeding of the material and -thenV closed through the 9 5 vaction of theV air and `held closedthrough the action of the air during` the cutting operation. The cams are mounted on a shaft 44 and this sha-ft is journaled in bearings `45 and 46 in the frame. A gear `47 is fixed on the shaft 44and 1100 `meshes with a' gear 48. The gear 43m-fixedV on a shaft `49 journaled in lthe frame. A beveled gear 50 is fixed on the shaft 49 and meshes-with a beveled gear 52. The beveled gear V52` isv fixed on ashaft 53 mounted in a bearing in the frame. V105 A shaft 53a (see dotted lines)A extends upwardly from the shaft 53 and is provided with al worm -54.which.is driven by a worm 55A on the spindle.

Aclutch 56` is adapted to lock the shaft 53a with the shaft 53.` One of the clutch members has a 1110 groove 57 which is engaged by trunnions 58 carried by arms 59. The arms 59 are xed on a shaft 60 which is actuated by hand levers 61, one of such levers being provided at each side of the machine for convenience. Thus the valve control is hooked up and driven from the spindle and the valve control and consequently the operation of the jaws may be thrown out by the operation of the lever 61.

The air-connecting housing must be maintained air tight on the spindle and this involves considerable heat. In order to obviate undue heating, I provide this connecting housing with a cooling cavity 62. This is connected by a pipe 63 with a pump 65. The pump is of the rotary type and driven by a sprocket 66, a chain 67 meshing with the sprocket and with a sprocket 68 on the spindle. The chain also engages a sprocket 70 for, driving the feed rolls hereinafter described. 'I'he pump has an intake 71 which extends down into the sump 4 and thus draws up cutting lubricant from the sump and delivers the same to the cooling cavity 62. The lubricant passes from the cooling cavity by way of a pipe 72 to a discharge nozzle 73 directly at the work. Thus the cutting lubricant is utilized for cooling the air ring.

The spindle is provided with a sprocket 74 andl a chain 75 actuates this sprocket, the chain getting its movement from a sprocket 76. The sprocket 76 is mounted on a rotor shaft 77 of an electric motor 78, the motor being mounted on a platform 79 extending from the frame.

Tool posts 80 and 81 have arms 82 and 83 overlapping and journaled on a stud -84 extending from the frame, this stud being of large dimensions and so mounted as to give great rigidity. It has a screw-threaded end 84a with a nut 84h permitting the ready assembly of the posts.

The cutting is accomplished preferably by two tools, one a direct cutting tool, and the other a roller. The direct cutting tool 85 which makes the initial cut and the chamfer and prevents the formation of a burr is adjustably mounted in guides 86 and is provided with an adjusting screw 87. The guides 86 are mounted on the post 80. A roller cutter 88 is mounted on a slide 89 and this slide is mounted in guides 90, said slide being made adjustable by a screw 91. The slide 89 is mounted on the post 81. The roller supplements the cutting tool and completes the cut oif.

The posts 80 and 81 have operating arms 92 and 93 extending below the posts. These are drawn toward each other by means of a spring 94 arranged between these arms, the effect of the spring being to retract the cutting tools. The arms 92 and 93 are provided with cam rollers 95 and 96 respectively and these rollers operate upon cams 97 and 98 respectively. The cams are mounted on the shaft 44 and are thus properly timed with relation to the valve control to retract the cutting tools at the completion of a cut, hold the tools open suiciently to permit the advance of the work, and advance the cutting tools in proper sequence to complete the cut, the major portion of the cut being accomplished by the cutting tool and the nishing cut by the roller cutter lin order to avoid a burr and to provide a chamfer at the edge. A stop 99 isvprovided in the path of the work as it is advanced. This stop is mounted on a screw 100 which is arranged in an arm '101, the screw providing means of adjustment of the stop. The arm 101 is mounted on a screw 102 extending from a shaft 103. The arm 101 is made adjustable by means of. nuts 104 Operating on the screw. An arm 105 is fixed on the shaft 103 and a push rod 106 is connected with the arm 105. The lower end of the push rod has a yoke 107 straddling the shaft 44. A roller 108 is carried by the push rod and engages a cam 108e, the cam being arranged to lift the rod in proper time to move the stop out of engagement with the work at the completion of the cut so that the cut-off portion may be readily released and to return the stop to stop position in time to receive the work as it is fed forward. A work guide 109 is carried by the frame. Feed rolls 110 are arranged in front of the guide and the pass between the rolls being in alignment with the axis of the spindle. The rolls are mounted on shafts 111, the shafts being journaled in sleeves 112. The sleeves are carried by arms 113 and the arms are swingingly mounted on a shaft 114. A spring 115 draws the sleeves toward each other and consequently draws the rolls together for engagement on the work being fed. Rollers 116 are arranged on the sleeves 112 and a cam bar 117 is secured on the air housing 16 and is, therefore, moved forward and back with the jawoperating tube 10. The cam bar has a cam plate 118 which operating on the rollers 116 spreads the feed rollers 110 to a position out of engagement with the work. This forward movement of the cam plate 118 takes place as the operating tube 10 is moved forward to close the collet so that the feed rollers are outl of engagement with the work during the time that the cutting operation is taking place and during the time that the work is rotating. The plate 118 has a slot 119. A screw 120 extends through the slot into the bar 117 thus forming a means of adjustment.

4A helical gear 122 is mounted on the shaft 114. This shaft is mounted in bearings 114a in the frame and has the sprocket 70 heretofore referred to secured thereon. The sprocket 70 as heretofore described is driven by the chain 67 from the spindle. The helical gear 122 meshes with gears 123 at the bottom ends of the shafts 111. Consequently the feed rollers are constantly rotated. The mounting of the sleeves 111 through the arms 113 on the shaft 114 makes the pivotal movement of .the sleeves 111 through the action of the cam plate around the axis of the shaft 114 so that during this movement the engagement of the gears 123 with the gear 122 is not disturbed. The gears 122 and 123 and the lower part of the sleeves are in a box 121. Closure plates 124 are arranged on the top of the box and are held in contact by springs 125 arranged around the sleeves. The rolls 110 are free to move axially on the shafts 111 to permit them to center on different diameters of, work.

In the operation of the'feeding device as the air control opens the collet, the extension 13 moves with the operating tube and carries with it the air housing 16 and operating cam plate 117 so as to move the cam 118 to the rear permitting the sleeves to carry the operating rollers into engagement with the work. The work is, therefore, immediately fed forward through the action of the rollers and as soon as this movement of the work is completed the air valves are timed to operate, the collet is closed through the forward movement of the tube 10 and this draws the cam plate 117 forward and the cam 118 spreads the sleeves and moves the feed rollers out of engagement with the work and this position is maintained until, in the cycle of the machine, the cutting is completed and the collet is again ias opened to permit of the forward feeding of the Work.

What I claim as new isz- 1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a spindle adapted to rotate the Work; tool posts, one at each side of the spindle and each having a tool support; a pivotal mounting for the posts having an axis parallel to the axes of the spindle; arms extending from the posts to the opposite sides of the mounting from the tool supports and extending in substantially direct lines from the tool supports; and cams acting on the arms for actuating the posts.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a spindle adapted to rotate the Work; tool posts, one at each side of the spindle and each having a tool support;` a pivotal mounting for the posts having an axis parallel to the axes of the spindle; arms extending from the posts to the opposite sides of the mounting from the tool supports and extending in substantially direct lines from the tool supports; cams acting on the arms for actuating the posts; and a shaft on 'which both cams are iixed actuating said cams.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination `of a spindle adapted to rotate the Work; tool posts, one at each side of the spindle and each having a tool support; a pivotal mounting for the posts having an axis parallel to the axis of the spindle, one of said posts being forked at the mounting and the other of said posts being journaled on the mounting between the forked end of the companion post; arms extending from the posts to the opposite sides of the mounting from the tool supports and extending in substantially direct lines from the tool supports; and cams acting on' the arms for actuating the posts.

4. In a machine of the character described, the

combination of a spindle adapted to rotate the Work; tool posts, one at each side of the spindle and each having a tool support; a pivotal mounting for the posts having an axis parallel to the axes of the spindle; arms extendingfrom the posts to the opposite sides of the mounting from the tool supports and extending in substantially direct lines from the tool supports; cams acting on the arms for actuating the posts; and a spring arranged between the arms for retracting the posts.

5. In a machine of the character described, the i i combination of a spindle adapted to rotate the Work; tool posts, one at each side of the spindle and each having a tool support; a pivotal mounting for the posts having an axis parallel to the axes of the spindle; arms extending from the posts to the opposite sides of the mounting from the tool supports and extending in substantially direct lines from vthe tool supports; and cams acting on the arms for actuating the posts, the cams being varied in relation to each other to vary the sequence imparted to the tool supports.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a spindle adapted to rotate the Work; tool posts, one at each side of the spindle and each having a tool support; a pivotal mounting for the posts having an axis parallel to the axes of the spindle; arms extending from the posts to the opposite sides of the mounting from the tool supports and extending in substantially direct lines from the tool supports a cutting tool mounted on one of the posts; a cutting roller mounted on the other of said posts; and cams acting on the arms for actuating the posts, the cams being varied in relation to each other to vary the sequence imparted to the tool supports.

AUGUST A. RICKERT. 

